Clerics condemn assault on Likoni worshippers

By Standard Reporters

Mombasa, Kenya: Religious leaders have strongly condemned the gun attack on the church in Likoni and urged the Government to ensure the killers are brought to book.

National Muslim Leaders Forum Chairman Dr Abdullahi Abdi urged Kenyans to remain calm to avoid falling into the trap of the killers who want the country to be divided on religious lines.

He said it is wrong for anyone to shed blood in houses of worship for whatever reason.

He called on security agencies to beef up security in houses of worship in order to keep such cowardly attackers at bay. 

Catholic Church Head John Cardinal Njue also condemned the attack and called on the Government to beef up security at the Coastal region and the country as a whole.

“It is a pity if these attacks on places of worship continue. The police must ensure every Kenyan is peaceful and secure,” he said.

He noted that the attack was not the first one against churches in the region.

The church leader also called for calm among Christians, saying the police should be allowed to conduct investigations.

Njue was speaking at Endarasha Primary School in Kieni, Nyeri County, where he had attended a church fundraising for the area parish.

Spokesman for Hizbu Tahrir East Africa Shaaban Mwalimu said the unfortunate attack could have deliberately been designed to incite sectarian conflict between Muslims and Christians.

 He said in Nairobi that killing of innocent people in churches and other places is totally unacceptable, saying swift action should be taken to bring the culprits to book.